Best The Claremont Institute Podcasts (2024)

1
#1590 Red Caesar and Project 2025: A fascist fever dream by the Claremont Institute and the Heritage Foundation (Throwback) 1:01:44

15d ago1:01:44

1:01:44

Original Air Date: 10/23/2023 The people who want to pull the country in directions that are only supported by a small minority of the population have to develop very intricate plans to have any hope of succeeding. This is the story of the latest plan to establish unchecked rule to implement unpopular policies supported only by the far right. Be pa…

1
#1247 The Fight for the Four Freedoms (FDR vs. Libertarianism) (Throwback) 1:01:04

1d ago1:01:04

1:01:04

Original Air Date: 2/5/2019 Today we take a look at the history of FDR's "Four Freedoms" and "Economic Bill of Rights" that laid the groundwork for the fight for economic freedom for all that continues to this day. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Get AD FREE S…

1
Bonus Sample #311 Primal Scream of Catharsis 18:09

3d ago18:09

18:09

Air Date: 7-7-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - Some stuff that we planned and A LOT more that we did not. REFERENCES: The Cause That Turned Idealists Into Authoritarian Zealots 'Extreme wealth as power must be regulated’: 31-year-old heiress is letting 50 strangers give her $27 million fortune away The Baffling Disaster Unfolding at…

1
#1640 China Explained: From Cars to Computer Chips, Communism to Carbon Emissions, the South China Sea to Space, and Clinton to Biden 2:54:11

7d ago2:54:11

2:54:11

Air Date 7/5/2024 China is an undeniable force in the world relating to several major political issues and to address their influence without a deep understanding of the history, context, and current dynamics would be to invite 100 years of humiliation. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com T…

1
#1639 Migrants and Refugees on Fortress Earth: Our politicized, fortified, industrialized borders in the US and Europe 2:06:35

8d ago2:06:35

2:06:35

Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world continues to take turns for the dark and dystopian as right-wing sentiment against migrants and refugees continues to escalate to the extreme. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript Air Date 7/2/2024 Border security around the world…

1
Bonus Sample #310 - The Torment Nexus 14:56

10d ago14:56

14:56

Air Date: 6-30-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the baffling trend of tech companies using cautionary tales from dystopian fiction as a blueprint for what to create next - how the people who build or champion tools of oppression never think those same tools will inevitably be turned on them - the use of drones as first responders, a…

1
#1638 AI: From Killer Apps to Killer Robots, the Present and Future of Artificial Intelligence Spans the Spectrum 2:21:19

12d ago2:21:19

2:21:19

Air Date 6/28/2024 AI, like all new technologies, won't be all good or all bad. In fact, my favorite understanding of emerging technologies is that they often bring simultaneous utopia and dystopia, though many tend to focus on the benefits while only discovering the drawbacks later. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 o…

1
Bonus Sample #309 Of Kidults and Puppets 23:26

17d ago23:26

23:26

Air Date: 6-23-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The Kidult trend in depth (since we had to cut it short last time) - A right-wing attempt at a puppet-based kids show to draw in young viewers early - How Nanalan' - a kids puppet show from the 90s - is helping some Millennials with reparenting REFERENCES: Adults Are Spending Big on To…

1
#1637 Shifting Populations, Shifting Politics: The European elections show a shift toward the hard right over fears of immigration and scarcity 1:48:30

19d ago1:48:30

1:48:30

Air Date 6/21/2024 The European elections could have been worse but they weren't great. Shifting politics among mainstream parties is legitimizing far-right policies at the same time as people's concerns over immigration is being reflected in a willingness to vote for far-right parties. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-399…

1
#1460 The Growing Threat of Minority Rule (Throwback) 1:07:14

22d ago1:07:14

1:07:14

Original Air Date: 12/11/2021 Today we take a look at the many structures of American government that tilt to favor minority rule and conservatism which, in our case, is one and the same. Some structures like the Senate and the filibuster were intentionally designed to give extra weight to the minority while others like gerrymandering and the influ…

1
Bonus Sample #308 Let the Kids (and Adults) Play 17:59

24d ago17:59

17:59

Air Date: 6-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - The importance of unsupervised playtime for children and why it's disappearing - The roots and consequences of over-scheduling kids and why it's so hard to cut back - The rise of the "Kidult" REFERENCES: Parents: Keep Out! - Hidden Brain The Fine Art of Underscheduling Adults Are Spend…

1
#1636 The Supreme Court Is In Bad Shape. Like, Really Bad. And SCOTUS Is Going To Take Us All Down With Them 3:06:04

28d ago3:06:04

3:06:04

Air Date 6/14/2024 We're in the middle of Supreme Court opinion season, which is not going well for non-extreme conservatives in the country, at the same time as scandal, corruption, and justices Thomas and Alito's refusal to recuse in the face of clear bias is reaching a modern peak. Call or text 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcr…

1
#1635 Democracy on the Decline: The US is not alone in facing threats to democracy, others countries are showing how democracies fail 3:09:59

1M ago3:09:59

3:09:59

Air Date 6/11/2024 Democracies don't break all of a sudden in a moment of crisis, they fail slowly over time and only by knowing the warning signs and responding effectively to the threat before it's too late can the worst be averted. Call or text at 202-999-3991, email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus S…

1
Bonus Sample #307 Uncertain and Powerless 13:06

1M ago13:06

13:06

Air Date: 06-09-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - how focusing on the "politics" of an event trivializes the impact that event has on real people - the detrimental effects combining the daily news grind and the prioritization of profits forces has on news coverage - how keeping news coverage light and ignoring the effects of neoliber…

1
#1634 Abortion as the Tip of the Iceberg: the fight for privacy, bodily autonomy, and functional democracy after Dobbs overturning Roe v Wade 2:23:12

1M ago2:23:12

2:23:12

Air Date 6/7/2024 Banning abortion is wildly unpopular and also one of the primary motivators for the group most strongly supporting the Republican Party and Donald Trump, the Christian Right, which has transformed both the party and politicians into extremists made in their own image, threatening the lives and health of millions and sacrificing de…

1
#1633 Fights for Fair Pay, Journalism vs Sensationalism, Billionaire Bailouts, and Addiction Capitalism: Sports are a Microcosm of the Ills of Society 2:22:03

1M ago2:22:03

2:22:03

Air Date 6/4/2024 The problems that arise within the systems of sports are the same problems we all face everywhere which makes them a good lens through which to understand the mechanisms of broader society. Fair pay, both journalism and addictive games functioning under capitalism, and benefits for billionaires all resonate far beyond the bounds o…

1
Bonus Edition #305 Solved It! Conspiracy Theorists, Comment Sections, and Trump 17:42

1M ago17:42

17:42

Air Date: 6-2-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How one MIT study used AI to reduce belief in conspiracy theories - How a new AI tool is attempting to make comments sections less awful - Some advice from Korea's litigious political environment on how to deal with Trump BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) REF…

1
#1134 Unnatural Disasters (Hurricanes and Humans) (Throwback) 54:42

1M ago54:42

54:42

Original Air Date: 9/19/2017 Today we look not so much at hurricanes and the climate science behind them (though we touch on that as well) but focus more on what we can see more clearly when it’s illuminated by so-called “natural” disasters, the structural inequality and legacies of decision-making that make these disasters worse than they need to …

1
#1632 SiliCON Valley: The False Promises, Enshittification Economics, and Misguided Adventures of the Twits of Tech 2:21:32

1M ago2:21:32

2:21:32

Air Date 5/28/2024 Today we look at the most disappointing yet most idolized false heroes of our day, the titans of tech and the zany hijinks they've been getting up to recently. Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Disco…

1
Bonus Sample #304 Not everything that counts can be counted 16:32

2M ago16:32

16:32

Air Date: 5-26-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - the con of supply and demand economics being about distributing goods with the greatest efficiency, and is instead nothing more than predatory greed - what we value as humans goes far beyond the price of commodities - even more examples of the enshitification of life via hostile experi…

1
#1631 Body Neutrality in the World of Ozempic: Reassessing Weight, Body Positivity, Physical and Mental Health, and even the Economics of Body Size 2:00:04

2M ago2:00:04

2:00:04

Air Date 5/24/2024 Assessing the impacts of new diet drugs on physical and mental health in the context of our unhealthy food system and societal fat phobia Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discor…

1
#1630 Unrivaled Global Arms Dealer: Officially and Illegally Exporting the US Gun Culture Around the World 1:59:07

2M ago1:59:07

1:59:07

Air Date 5/21/2024 Whether by the US government playing matchmaker for the domestic weapons industry or through the illegal trade of the 'iron river,' the US is the leading seller of weapons around the world, fueling violence and conflict, oppression and rights abuses. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@Bes…

1
#929 Looking to avert further tragedy (War on Drugs™) (Throwback) 46:34

2M ago46:34

46:34

Original Air Date: 5/9/2015 Today we take a look at the continuing failure that is the War on Drugs™ as well as some of the signs of hope that we may be making progress toward shutting it down Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Clips and Shows +…

1
Bonus Sample #303 At the Carwash: Living in a World Not Built for Humans 18:43

2M ago18:43

18:43

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Hear the Full Show, Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Air Date: 5-16-24 Today, Jay!, Amanda, Deon and Erin discuss: - How mega drive-throughs are ruining American towns and cities - Why giant car washes are popping up across the country and what we could have instead - How Tokyo's beautiful public toilets are an inspirat…

1
#1629 Hitting Where it Hurts in Our Era of Negative Partisanship: Messaging left-wing politics amid cultish politics 2:06:56

2M ago2:06:56

2:06:56

Air Date 5/15/2024 In an age of cultish in-group/out-group politics and media, we seek to find messaging for progressive partisans to achieve electoral success Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991 or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com Transcript BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Join our Discord community! FRONTPAGE FP 1:…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The Claremont Institute Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy

BestOfTheLeft.com

51
"Whither the Looniversity?" - A Podcast on the Miserable State of the American University

"Whither the Looniversity?" - The Podcast of The Peerless Review

1
#1590 Red Caesar and Project 2025: A fascist fever dream by the Claremont Institute and the Heritage Foundation (Throwback) 1:01:44

1
#1247 The Fight for the Four Freedoms (FDR vs. Libertarianism) (Throwback) 1:01:04

1
Bonus Sample #311 Primal Scream of Catharsis 18:09

1
#1640 China Explained: From Cars to Computer Chips, Communism to Carbon Emissions, the South China Sea to Space, and Clinton to Biden 2:54:11

1
#1639 Migrants and Refugees on Fortress Earth: Our politicized, fortified, industrialized borders in the US and Europe 2:06:35

1
Bonus Sample #310 - The Torment Nexus 14:56

1
#1638 AI: From Killer Apps to Killer Robots, the Present and Future of Artificial Intelligence Spans the Spectrum 2:21:19

1
Bonus Sample #309 Of Kidults and Puppets 23:26

1
#1637 Shifting Populations, Shifting Politics: The European elections show a shift toward the hard right over fears of immigration and scarcity 1:48:30

1
#1460 The Growing Threat of Minority Rule (Throwback) 1:07:14

1
Bonus Sample #308 Let the Kids (and Adults) Play 17:59

1
#1636 The Supreme Court Is In Bad Shape. Like, Really Bad. And SCOTUS Is Going To Take Us All Down With Them 3:06:04

1
#1635 Democracy on the Decline: The US is not alone in facing threats to democracy, others countries are showing how democracies fail 3:09:59

1
Bonus Sample #307 Uncertain and Powerless 13:06

1
#1634 Abortion as the Tip of the Iceberg: the fight for privacy, bodily autonomy, and functional democracy after Dobbs overturning Roe v Wade 2:23:12

1
#1633 Fights for Fair Pay, Journalism vs Sensationalism, Billionaire Bailouts, and Addiction Capitalism: Sports are a Microcosm of the Ills of Society 2:22:03

1
Bonus Edition #305 Solved It! Conspiracy Theorists, Comment Sections, and Trump 17:42

1
#1134 Unnatural Disasters (Hurricanes and Humans) (Throwback) 54:42

1
#1632 SiliCON Valley: The False Promises, Enshittification Economics, and Misguided Adventures of the Twits of Tech 2:21:32

1
Bonus Sample #304 Not everything that counts can be counted 16:32

1
#1631 Body Neutrality in the World of Ozempic: Reassessing Weight, Body Positivity, Physical and Mental Health, and even the Economics of Body Size 2:00:04

1
#1630 Unrivaled Global Arms Dealer: Officially and Illegally Exporting the US Gun Culture Around the World 1:59:07

1
#929 Looking to avert further tragedy (War on Drugs™) (Throwback) 46:34

1
Bonus Sample #303 At the Carwash: Living in a World Not Built for Humans 18:43

1
#1629 Hitting Where it Hurts in Our Era of Negative Partisanship: Messaging left-wing politics amid cultish politics 2:06:56

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